Federal charges filed in gun case

Federal charges have been filed against a man who had been accused of threatening someone with a gun last November outside a North Lawrence strip club.

Anthony L. Kennon, 27, Lawrence, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

Late last year, Douglas County prosecutors dismissed an assault charge against Kennon stemming from a Nov. 4 incident at Allstars, 913 N. Second St. The charge was dismissed after testimony of the alleged victim, Henry Arias, did not match information he gave police during a preliminary hearing.

Arias' brother, Luis Arias, 32, was shot in the leg during a disturbance that night outside the club, and several people were fighting when police arrived. No one has been charged with the actual shooting.

During his testimony at a preliminary hearing, Henry Arias said he saw a gun in Kennon's vehicle, but he said nothing about seeing Kennon holding it or pointing it at anyone. A court document referred to the gun as an SKS rifle, which is an assault rifle.

If Kennon's convicted of the federal charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

Another man - Kyle E. Coats, 25 - also was charged in federal court with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

The indictment alleges Coats - who had been convicted in 2004 of aggravated burglary - possessed a .40-caliber pistol on June 16, 2006, in Douglas County. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.